Pattern mechanism eos knitting-machines



F. B. WILDMAN & s. L. BALLARD. PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. [NM 7 Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. I'9I 4. 1,194,584.

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UNITED STATES A t i FRANK PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-IMACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 15, 1916.

' Applicationfiledjeptemberi),1914. SertalNo.-860,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Fnaxn B. Wnanmx and Gannon L. BALLAnn, a citizen of the United States and a subject of the King of Great Britain, respectively, residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pattern Mechanism for Knitting-l\lachines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to pattern mechanism for circular knitting machines of the type in which a pattern ratchet is employed to operate thepattern member, preferably a wheel, said ratchet being operated at intervals by a constantly reciprocating pawl, which is controlled by a second pawl in turn controlled by a measuring wheel operated from.the fabric roller of the machine, the measuring pawl reciprocating with the pat tern ratchet pawl and exerting control over the measuring wheel. Such general type of pattern mechanism is well known in connection'with the ildman ribber, and is shown, for instance,

the United States granted to F. D. Wildman, #613346, November 1, 1898.

Our present invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in 'the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a front view of the pattern mechanism embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the measuring and pattern ratchet pawls in relation to the measuring wheel; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the pawls moved forward part way ready to turn the pattern ratchet wheel; Fig. 4 is a. detail view of friction drive between the measuring wheel and the fabric roller; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 along the shaft of the pattern mechanism; Fig. (3 is a front View of the pattern ratchet; Fig. 7 shows different forms of measuring plates.

' In carrying out the invention, different forms of pattern members may be employed, but in theparticular construction shown we use a pattern wheel 1 fixed to a shaft 2 journaled in the frame at 3. This pattern member has plates 4 fixed thereto which opcratc a lever .3 pivoted to the frame. at (3. said lever operating a rod 7 vertically which carries a tappet device or roller (not shown but well l aown in the \Vi'ldman machine),

in Letters Patent of which roller operates certain devices. to make changes in the knitting.

For driving the pattern member 1 step.

by step, a pattern ratchet 8 is fixed to-the shaft 2 by a set screw 9, and this ratchet is moved step by step by a pawl 10 pivotally mounted on a slide 11 guided in the frame of the machine, said slide being operated in any suitable manner from the moving parts of the machine, so that itsreciprocationsare properly timed to the machi'ncs revolutions. This ratchet, instead of having teeth of the usual ratchet formation 'cut therein, has teeth of a different form from those ordinarily employed, and these teeth are removably mounted. They consist of thin plates 12 seated in transverse'slots formed in the periphery, and one side face of the ratchet wheel, said slots extending partly across the ratchet wheel, each tooth having a right angular extension 13 -seated in a lateral extension of the slot. The teeth are held in place by the heads of screws 14 which overlie them, and by removing these screws the teeth may be removed and replaced, and by removing these teeth at desired points the production of thepattern can be regulated, as will be'referred to more "fullv hereinafter.

The ratchet teeth 12 are of different lengths. long ones being indicated at a, intermediate length teeth ,as at b, and a short tooth is shown at position 0. The pattern ratchet pawl 10 is controlled to miss contact, with some of these teeth by a second pawl 10, which we will term the measuring pawl. This is pivoted on the same pin 15 to which the pattern ratchet pawl 10 is pivoted, these two pawls having independent pivotal move ment at times, and joint pivotal movement at other times, these actions being secured fhy a spring connection between the said pawls. This spring connection consists of the spring wire 16 extending around the pivot pin 1'5, the upper arm of the spring extending down beneath a pin 17 on the pattern ratchet pawl 10, while the lower arm of the spring wire extends over a pin 18 on the measuring pawl 10.

It will now be seen that when the pawl 10 is lifted the pawl 10 also will be lifted through the spring wire connection, but this connection will allow the pattern ratchet pawl to have up and down movement indepcndeutly ol'the measuring pawl 10. This pawl cooperates with a measuring wheel 19 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 2. It has teeth 20 performing a twofold purpose; one function of the teeth being to mesh with a driving gear 2L on the shaft 22, which .sh'aft carries the card clothed fabric roller or wheel 23. This shaft is journaled in the frame'at 24.

The other function of the teeth is to be en gaged by the measuring ratchet 10 so that the measuring wheel will be given a step by step forward mov'enient and in advance of the slow measuring movement imparted by the drive gear 21. in order that this step by step'movement may be imparted to the measuring wheel in advance of the slow measuring movement derived from the gear 21, said drive gear is operated from the fabric roller by a slip connection, Figs. 1 and 4. For this purpose the gear 21 is not fixed to its shaft, butits hub 25 bears against a fiber Washer 26 which, in turn,-bears against a collar 27 fixed on the shaft 22.! A coil spring 28 of conical form adjustable by a screw 29 presses the gear so that its hub will bear frictionally upon the washer to be driventhereby, and thus the slow measuring movement will be imparted to the measuring wheel through the gear teeth. When, however, the measuring pawl engages the teeth of the measuring wheel and moves it, the gear 21 will, of course, be turned also,

but its hub will slip around on the fiber washer Withoutafl ect-ing the'fabrie wheel, the resistance of which will be in excess of the resistance existing between the fiber .washer and the parts in contact therewith. The measuring pawl is designed to act only 1 upon every other tooth of the measuring gear, and for this purposealtei'iiate teeth are long ones to receive the thrust of the pawl. 'The measuring Vwheel carries measuring plates 33 whrch. may be disposed thereon at different points, being capable of being set at three different positions in the instance illustrated on the face of the plate by screws 31 and holes 32', there being one of the latter in line radially with each tooth of the pat- .tern ratchet. These measuring plates at predetermined intervals, according to their positions on the measuring wheel, come under the measuring pawl and lift it so that in its reciprocations it will not turn the measuring wheel step by step forward until allowed to do soby the plate. The lifting of the measuring pawl also lifts the pattern ratchet pawl so that it will miss the low teeth thereof and so long as this pattern ratchet pawl is held up and an intermediate length or low tooth is present within the range of its reciprocations, no movement will be imparted to the patte n ratchet and the pattcrn wheel, but when in the slow measuring movement of the measuring wheel imparted thereto by the gear .21 the measuring plate is measuring movement in advance ()1.

ratchet pawl 10 to engage the intermediate or low tooth of the pattern ratchet and the measuring pawl will be permitted to drop into engagement with "the long teeth 200i the measuring wheel to secure a step by step that de rived from the gear'QL The measuring pawl, as stated, acts against the alternate long teeth 20 inmoving the measuring wheel step by step, but not on the short teeth, its end being too wide to pass down in the space between a short and a long tooth.

The pattern ratchet pawl 10 acts against the long teeth of the pattern ratchet when ever any'of these long teeth are within its range. lVhen so acting. the pawl 10 will strike the long tooth toward the outer end thereof, and its point will slide down along, the face of this tooth to the base thereof, where it is seated in the wheel, and where the tooth can receive the pushing force of the pawl without liability of bending the tootli. This lowering-of the point of the pattern ratchet pawl is allowed by the spring connection 16 between the two pawls, and another effect of this yielding 'conneetion is that while under the action just described the measuring pawl isheld down in engagement with the edge of the measuring plate, or in engagement with the top of the teeth '20, the pressure, due to the yielding of the spring 16, is not sul'licient to cause the measuring pawl to turn the measuring wheel by frictional engagement therewith, butit. requires the engagement of the measuring pawl with the side of the long tooth 20 'to effect the step movement of the measuring wheel.

The pattern ratchet 8 is provided with teeth of threelengths, as before statcd, i. e, long teeth which, when "they are within range of the stroke of the pawl 10, will be engaged thereby to turn the ratchet andpattern wheel will now remain at rest until the measuring wheel, in slow measuring movement derived from the fabric roll and gear 21, carries the measuring plate from under the measuring pawl, allowing this to fall, together with the pawl 10, which thus engages ihe intermediate tooth of the ratchet and turns the same. Both pawls now being down, the turning of both the pattern wheel and the measuring wheel step by step will now take" place until 'the next measuring plate comes around and lifts the pawl and through it and the spring the pawl 10. The pattern ratchet and pattern wheel will now remain at rest while the slow measuring movement of the measuring wheel is going on and the measuring plate is being carried past the measuring pawl. At this time an intermediate length ratchet tooth is in posi-' tion to be taken by the pawl 10 were this in its low position. The low tooth c is the starting point of the fabric.

The measuring plate shown at 33 has a number of measuring surfaces or edges with notches between them with which the meas uring pawl may engage to compensate for any out of time relation that may exist between the measuring wheel and the stroke of the pawl. For instance. .hould the measuring wheel for any reason become slightly displaced circumferentially and therefore slightly out of time. the measuring pawl will, through the notches of the measuring, plate, bring the measuring wheel, together with its measuring plates, back into time, so that all the measuring plates will then be in proper time with the stroke of the pawl and with the pattern ratchet wheel. The teeth of the pattern ratchet are individually removable as above mentioned, so that the said teeth can be arranged in any desired order to make various changes in the fabric, and this can be done without using up much extent of the ratchets surface or that of the pattrrn wheel.

We have provided means for operating a change speed drive mechanism tor the knitizig head so that at iillnS the knitting head v ill run at one speed and at times at another speed. so that plain fabric may be. made under high speed a -.l the pattern i'abrie under a l w speed. For this purpose we 'utiii'l the patter! ra chet wheel 8 and place thncon plat s o oleits 3.; held removably lr, r-"lQV/S. These plates are Hanged at 4'). to provide a track or runway for a roller on a leve an mounted on a shaft 3T journaled in tin frame and connected by an arm 3%, link and bell crank it) to a changespeed clutch member which connects the head through either a high speed gearing or a low speed gearing with the drive shaft.

The roller or pin 4i ot the lever is shifted t either one side or the other of the flange it! through the gates at 43. it, the latter gate having a cam portion 4;- to direct the iin or roller from the outside to the inner side of the llange and the gate 43 will allow the pin or roller to pass from inside to out side of the flange. each shitting movement oi the lever etl'ecting through the conned tions des ribed a change in the speed ot' revolution of the head. Some of the plates or blocks 35 are shown removed in Fig. (i for convenience of illustration.

In Fig. 7 is shown group of plates for measuring adapted to be fixed to the measuring wheel. he plate 33 is slotted as shown for adjustment. It may be associated as shown in Fig. 1 with another plate 33 fixed to the measuring wheel, and also with a filler plate 33 which may be set behind the plate 33, and the plate 33' may extend partly in back of the plate 33. By adjusting the plate 33 the length of the combined HIOASUI" ing edge formed by the plates 33 and 3 may be increased or decreased. The filler plate 33" also may have a measuring edge at 3 X and the adjustment of the plate 33 with its measuring edge will effect a lengthening or a shortening of the measuring edge here.

\Ve claim as our invention 2- 1. In a pattern mechanism for knitting machines and in combination, a pattern member, a pattern ratchet for driving the pattern member, a pawl for moving the pat tern ratchet, a measuring pawl connected to the pattern ratchet pawl for controlling its engagement at times with said pattern ratchet, a measuring wheel having teeth with which the measuring pawl engages, and a drive gear for the measuring wheel meshing with the. same teeth with which the measuring pawl engages, substantially as described.

2. In a pattern mechanism for knitting machines and in combination, a pattern member, a pattern ratchet for driving the pattern member, a pawl for-moving the pattern ratchet, a i'neasuring pawl connected to the pattern ratchet pawl for controlling its engagement at times with said pattern ratchet, a measuring wheel having teeth with which the measuring pawl engages, a drive gear for the nieasiiring wheel meshing with the same teeth with which the measuring pawl engages, and a yielding driving connection for said driving gear. substan tially as described.

3. in combination in a pattern mechanism for knitting machines, a pattern member, a measuring wheel exerting control on the pattern member, said measuring wheel having gear teeth. a measuring pawl engaging said teeth, a drive gear wheel also engaging said teeth. and means for driving the gear wheel, substantially as described.

i. In combination in a pattern mechanism for knitting machines. a pattern member, a measuring wheel exerting control on the pattern member, said measuring wheel having gear teeth. a measuring pawl engaging said teeth, a drive gear wheel also engaging said teeth. means for driving the gear wheel consisting of a fabric roller and a yielding connection between the same and the' drive gear, substantially as described.

5,. In combination in a pattern mechanism for knitting machines, a pattern member, means for operat ng the same, a measuring wheel exerting control on said operating means. lltl whtel having ham and short great teem. a awl engag ing the long teeth to operate the wheel step by step. and a gear heel meshing with the long: and short gear teeth to give the wheel a slow measuring! movement. substantiall as described.

3. 1n eombination in a pattern mechanism for knitting maehines. a pattern member. means for ova-rating: the same, a measuring wheel exerting control on said operating means, a pawl for operating the mensnrin wheel step by step. a gear for givin; slow movement to the measuring wheel and meshing directly therewith, a fabric ro ler. a shaftcarrvingi the same, said {rear being, mounted directly on said fabric roller shaft. a frietion drive conneetion between the sha t and gear. and an adjustable spring for varying the frictional contact, substantially as described.

7. In c mbination a pattern member, a pattern ratchet conneeted thereto, a pawl for operating the pattern rat het a measuring: wheel. a pawi for operating the said wheel step by step. and a s ing ronneerion between the pawls lifting thepattern ratchet pawl wh n the measuring pawl lifted and permitting: the pa tern ratchet pawl to have movenni t about it pivot independent of tin measuring pawl, substantially as described.

In eomhination in a pattern meehm nism for knitting maehines. a pattern member, means for wt/t'il llljf the same. ineluding: a pa i and rati-het. a measuring! wheel, a pa? for operativ the measuring: piates on the airman-ital wheel for lifting. the measuring an! out of operation. and a cross: spring); nire i'tlliiit't'lllti. the two pawl: to litt the ratehet pawl when the measuring. pawl is lifted. and to allow the ratehet pawl to move downwardly independently of the measuring pawl. substantially as dear ribed.

i In combination a. pattern wheel. a ra t het havingrteeth inthe form of thin bia-l 33,3. pawl to engage said teeth. a measuring r-slieel. a meznairiing pawl. nnalsuring plates on a :nea tiring wheel to lift the n'leasuringj pa l. and a spring connection between the two ls to lift the ratehet pawl when the measuring pa \vl is lifted. and to allow the ra -bet pawl to slide down along the face et n: tooth to engage the lower portion of said tooth tr turning the ratchet. said sliding movement; being: independent of any downward liltYt'i" ment of the measuring pawl. substantially as described.

10.111 combination a pattern wheel. a pawl and ratchet mechanism fo opee'ting the same, a series of plates removablv seeured to said atehet mechanism, said plates having track portions an 'l certain of th plates having gates, said plates being ll tf" changeable so that the gates ma: e to :1 at ditterent points about the rate-li t. and a h ayre speed lenr enntiolled by f plates. substantially as desaru. t.

11. ln com ination in a pattefn mechanism for lmitting machin s, a ehange speed lever. a rotary member earrying a s ries of interchanpeable plates forming a traek for said change speed lever, said traek having gates at intervals to ehana'e he position of the lever and thereby etieet a change of speed. the said gates being adjustable to ditierent points about the I'Otzll') member by interrhanging the plates, substantially as described.

In testimony whermt, we atlix our signatures in la'esenee of two witnesses FRANK l), dill/MAN. GEORGE L. ,llfitliln tli'l 

